How It All Started
by romancing-the-moon
Summary: Pre-Canon.  Two plot lines intersecting around the Arabic proverb:  "A known lie is better than an unknown truth", as Jimmy and Kathryn sort out their feelings.


An Unknown Truth:

"We're in the Justice League now, Katie!"

She rolled her eyes as he bounced down the stone staircase beside her, waving his degree in one hand and his black mortarboard in the other.

She looked back at her mother and father, who were engaged with one of her former professors and amid the busy gala; his show was private invitation only.

"I'm gonna get my own action figure -" he turned to face her, stretching out his arms and tipping his head up to the sun "- and call it The Alpha Counsel!" He slapped his hands down at his sides and nodded his head at her, grinning from ear to ear as she swooped past him, black robes swishing around her ankles.

"Just don't play with yourself in public," she retorted.

"Nice Katie," he said, nodding approvingly. "You're finally coming around."

He often wondered why she put up with him and his antics - what made her stick around with him and how on earth her eyeballs could still be connected to her brain.

He let her get away from him for a moment - that's how it worked with her. She moved and he followed. She let him follow. That was always his invitation, always the dance they did; how this was all going to play out.

Far enough, he caught up with her easily and wrapped an arm around her thin shoulders.

"C'mon. Let's loose 'em before they make us pose for the zillionth picture."

He launched himself into the nearby grove of trees in search of a well-known bench by a man-made pond.

They sat together in silence, saying nothing about the beautiful day or the cute ducks. They didn't look at each other but it was good, so good.

He would have then, the timing was perfect: a small wooden bench by a man-made pond as baby ducks quacked loudly by their protective mother. He slipped a hand over hers and he heard her suck in a short breath and his heart quickened but he was suddenly frozen, stuck to the bench and even before she took her hand back, his nerve was long gone and so was she.

He bent over, head hung between his legs wishing that those stupid ducks would stop laughing at him when he suddenly wondered if she knew the truth all along.

A Known Mistake:

She rolled her eyes as he bounced down the stone staircase beside her, waving his degree in one hand and his black mortarboard in the other screaming something about joining "the justice league".

She eyed her parents and debated the show that he insisted on putting on for her.

_An action figure. Something about an action figure... _It took all of her inner strength to put up with his antics but at least the come backs came easily with him.

"Just don't play with yourself in public," she retorted.

"Nice Katie," he said, nodding approvingly. "You're finally coming around."

In truth, she didn't mind his antics at all - they made her smile, sometimes laugh, and on the very rare occasion, blush with anticipation. She kept walking, no where in particular but away from the hubbub and hullabaloo of their graduation gala and he watched her carefully, letting her get away. She appreciated that, that he knew that... knew that about her.

Far enough, he caught up with her easily and wrapped an arm around her thin shoulders.

"C'mon. Let's loose 'em before they make us pose for the zillionth picture."

He launched himself into the nearby grove of trees in search of a well-known bench by a man-made pond.

Neither said a word. Neither had to. They didn't look at each other but it was good, so good.

She wanted him to, more than anything. The timing was perfect: a small wooden bench by a man-made pond as baby ducks quacked loudly by their protective mother. His hands slipped over hers and she sucked in a short breath while her heart threatened to beat out of her chest. She waited and waited... until she realized that he was stuck, frozen to the bench, unable to move. Unable to do what she wanted more than anything. Unable to wait beneath the shroud of awkward and helplessness, she was up and gone, leaving him and his nerve to the giggling ducks.

She left the grove in a rush, running back to the gala and the protective guise of everyone and their eyes, wondering if he understood his mistake; if he could ever really learn from it.


End file.
